When may I register to vote?

Voter registration applications may be submitted year round. However, no
registration will be processed during the:

29 days before and 10 days after a Primary Election

29 days before and 15 days after a General Election

Where may I register to vote?

You may complete a voter registration application in person at the
election office in your county or Baltimore City. See the list of Board of
Supervisors of Elections for listing of board offices and telephone
numbers. Voter registration applications are also available throughout
Maryland at any office of the State Department of Health, Social
Services Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Offices on
Aging and other State agencies. You may also obtain a voter
registration application at marriage licensing bureaus and community
colleges.

May I register to vote by mail?

Yes. You may request your election board to send a voter registration
application to you, or you can call the State's toll free telephone
number 1-800-222-VOTE to have an application mailed to you.

The completed application may be mailed to the election board or delivered
in person.

When am I registered to vote?

You are considered a registered voter when you receive your voter
notification card from your election board.

What should I do if I have changed my address or my name
since the last election?

You must notify the election board in your county of residence within 30
days by written notice, signed by the voter, requesting that the proper
form for providing such written notification be mailed to you.

What should I do if I move to another county within the state?
Or across the Baltimore City line?

You must re-register with the election board within your new residence
jurisdiction.

Do I have to register for each election?

No. Registration is permanent, as long as you continue to live in the same
jurisdiction and keep your address and name current with your local election
board.

If I am an overseas citizen, must I register to vote?

No. Maryland waives registration for most overseas citizens who are eligible
to vote in Federal Elections only. Contact your election board for more
information.

Make your voice count. Register, then Vote.

When are elections held?

Statewide:

Statewide Primary Elections will be held:

the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September for the 1998
Gubernatorial Election

General Elections are held in even numbered years on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November.

Baltimore City elections are held in the year after the Gubernatorial
year (1999.) The Primary Election is the second Tuesday after the first
Monday in September and the General Election is the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November.

When are the polls open?

Throughout Maryland polls are open continuously from 7 AM to 8 PM on
Election Day. If you are in line when the polls close, you may vote.

Where will I vote?

After you are registered you will receive by mail a Voter Notification
Card which will show your precinct number and polling place. You must
always vote in the polling place for your precinct, so keep the notification
as a reminder.

How will I cast my ballot?

You will vote on a voting machine or on one of the other voting devices
approved for use in the State. You may ask election officials to show you
how, but you alone must cast the vote. If you are blind, disabled, or
unable to vote without help, you may choose someone to assist you or have
one election judge from each party help you.

Voting in Primary Elections

What is a Party Primary?

The major parties are required by law to choose their candidates for the
General Election in Party Primary Elections.

Only registered voters who have affiliated with a major political party may vote in the Primary
Election of their party.

How can I vote in a Party Primary?

To vote in a Party Primary, you must affiliate with that party either when
you register to vote or at a later date.

May I change parties?

Yes. At anytime except in the 12 weeks prior to a primary election, send
your written request for a change or by completing a voter registration
application.

Suppose I don't wish to affiliate with a party?

If you do not choose a party, you will be recorded as a "Decline." You will
not be able to vote in Party Primaries, but you will be able to vote in any
nonpartisan primary held in your jurisdiction such as a Board of Education
Primary.

If I register before my 18th birthday and the Party Primary
comes before that birthday, what then?

If you will be 18 by the General Election, you may vote in the Primary that
precedes it even if you are under 18.

Can't get to the polls?

Vote by Absentee Ballot.

Who may vote by Absentee Ballot?

A qualified voter who cannot get to their polling place on Election Day
because of absence from home, illness or disability, confinement in or
restriction to an institution, overseas citizens who reside outside the
United States who would be qualified to vote in Maryland, and for other
reasons. Please contact your election board to see if you qualify.

How do I get an Absentee Ballot?

You must apply in writing for the ballot. Phone, write or go to the
election board for an application. (Apply for absentee voting as far ahead
of time as you can, but no later than seven days before the election.) When
your application is processed and you are found to be qualified, the ballot
will be mailed to you.

How do I cast an Absentee Ballot?

Follow the instructions enclosed with the ballot and return it to the
election board.

If returned in person, it must be received no later than 8 PM on
Election Day when the polls close.

If returned by mail, it must be received no later than 4 PM on the day
after election and must bear a post-mark verifying that it was mailed before
Election Day.

A Presidential Primary, Special Election or any General Election ballot
from an overseas location can be received up to 4 PM on the second Friday
after election, provided it bears postmark verifying that it was mailed
before Election Day.

What if I have a last minute problem?

If you are already a registered voter, you may apply for a emergency
absentee ballot after the deadline if:

you find out after the deadline that you must be absent from the county
or Baltimore City where you are registered;

you have a sudden illness or accident;

you have a death or serious illness in the immediate family;

you have a physical disability or are confined in or restricted to an
institution;

you are a full time student at a college outside your precinct but
within your county and academic requirements prevent you from being present
on election day.

You may also qualify to designate a duly authorized agent to acquire and
return your ballot. For more information, please contact your local
election board.

If you are not registered to vote in the state of Maryland, and would like
to obtain a voter registration application by mail, call your Local Board
of Supervisors of Elections (see listing of election board offices and
telephone numbers above), or the Maryland State Administrative Board of
Election Laws at: 1-800-222-VOTE